Wisps of teal green shot off Marley at her pronouncement.

/> “Don’t look so surprised, girlie. I pay attention.” Mrs. Newman tucked the empty basket against her generous hip and waved them off. “You have fun now.”

They waved and began backing away as Mrs. Newman opened the screen door and stepped inside.

“Nice cover,” he murmured against her ear.

“Nice accent,” she shot back sotto voce.

Something crashed on the second floor. Their uninvited guest was awake, and they were out of time.

“Go.”

They bolted, making for the narrow lane running between the two sets of houses. As they reached the end of the privacy fence, Ian cast one last glance over his shoulder. The warlock stood framed in the window, hands glowing green. He shoved Marley forward and leapt after her, barely dodging the spell that landed inches from his feet.

“Run!”

“Where?” she gasped.

Scenarios spun through his mind, one after another, each as improbable as the last. He couldn’t rely on his training, couldn’t rely on protocol. He had to think like a human. “To a crowd. He won’t risk anything in front of witnesses.” It went counter to every instinct he possessed, but it was their only option.

Ian almost plowed into her as she stopped at the end of the alley. “Why are you stopping?”

“Running draws attention,” she said, taking his hand and stepping out as if they were just out for a stroll.

He called himself an idiot for not thinking the same. His nerves jangled. Exposed.

“Where’s the nearest bus stop?” he asked. This was her neighborhood. It was time to make use of that knowledge.

“Quarter mile this way. But there won’t be another for fifteen minutes.”

“Can’t wait that long. Have to keep moving. Where else?”

“If we head south, we can pick up the Brookland-Fort Lincoln Line. It’s maybe half a mile if we cut across.” Marley checked her watch. “If we hustle and if they’re on schedule, we should make the next bus.”

“Lead the way.”

“We’re running for our lives on a bus?”

“You were expecting maybe a hotrod getaway car?” he asked. “Public transit will be harder to track. We’ll criss-cross the city, make our way to the train station.” Once there, he could use his abilities to blur their appearance on surveillance cameras while they got out of D.C.

Traffic had picked up, the commuter crowd making their way home. Ian couldn’t think, couldn’t sift through and keep track of potential danger amid the forest of emotional grids around him. The hunger beat in his blood, further fogging his brain. Yet another detail he hadn’t considered when forming this ill-advised plan. Living as a veritable ascetic the last year hadn’t left him mission ready, a fact he hadn’t had cause to regret until now.

They made the trek in seven minutes. The bus rumbled down the street as they joined the small crowd waiting at the bus stop. Ian scanned them, then the surrounding area. But beyond Marley, he sensed nothing other than the blue gray fog of depression and disappointment around him. He had to feed.

Releasing her hand, he unshouldered his bag on the pretense of checking the pockets for his wallet. Eyes to the ground, he opened his senses, drawing the negativity into himself like a scent on the air. It wasn’t as efficient as feeding directly through touch, but it did less damage to the source. The taste of their misery was bitter, but he was long accustomed to the caustic flavors that sustained him. A squeal of brakes jarred him back. He closed himself off again and straightened.

It was enough. It would have to be.

They climbed aboard, settling near the emergency exit. In the seat beside him, Marley wrapped both arms around her backpack, her white-knuckled hands and mulberry aura the only outward signs of her anxiety.

“So do you actually have a plan or are we winging it?” Her voice was admirably calm.

“I have a plan once we get out of the city.” It wasn’t a great plan, but it was something absolutely no one would expect.

“Where are we going?”

“To see somebody who owes me a favor.”

Tags: Kait Nolan Mirus Paranormal
Source: readsnovelonline.net